Oprah Signs on for Movie Role

Media mogul will reportedly play wife of White House butler in upcoming film

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Oprah Winfrey greets the crowd before talking with Paula Zahn during the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Cable Show 2011 at McCormick Place on Thursday, June 16, 2011, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Oprah apparently has enough time on her hands to take on a new project.

While still working to build her fledgling cable network, the media mogul has reportedly signed on for a return to the big screen. USA Today reported Tuesday that Winfrey will play a "big role" in the upcoming Lee Daniels film, The Butler.

"It's a true story of a man who served several decades in the White House," Daniels was quoted as saying. "Forest [Whitaker] plays the butler who serves many presidents and Oprah plays his wife."

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While she's done voice over work for recent films, an appearance in Daniels' movie would be her first return to the silver screen since 1988's Beloved.

Winfrey, of course, has been busy building an audience for the cable network she co-owns with Discovery Communications. Just last month, she pulled the plug on "The Rosie Show" because it wasn't drawing enough eyeballs.

"I would say if I was writing a book about it, I could call the book '101 mistakes," she said at the time, adding that she should have waited until she wrapped up "The Oprah Winfrey Show” in May 2011 before launching her network.